WaterDrop
by Eyes of Brown
Summary: Carson Laine was just sixteen when she found out she could control the very thing that she feared...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: so this is my attempt at an x-men evolution fic. so tell me if i should post the rest.**

Chapter One: It Begins

I _had_ to wear a white shirt, I thought as I tried to scrub spaghetti sauce from my new blouse. The stain had changed from a dark red to a sickly orange. I was getting sick of these "harmless" pranks my classmates were playing on me. I put on my sweatshirt and gave up.

The tardy bell rang as I slammed my locker door shut. I started running up the stairs to the third floor. Had I not been in the girls' room cleaning tomato sauce from my blouse, I might not have been rushing. And maybe I would have seen the yellow "wet floor" sign in the middle of the hallway. But I didn't. And the next thing I knew, I was on the floor, surrounded by my books and papers. Needless to say, I didn't quite make it to American Lit on time.

"Nice of you to join us, Miss Laine," Mr. Shipp said when I finally got myself together and made it to class. "However, Mrs. Greene wants to see you in her office." I sighed and turned to go back down to the third floor to see the eleventh grade counselor.

I felt nauseous. I always felt that way when I was afraid I was in trouble. I wracked my brain for what I might have done. This was my first tardy ever and I stayed out of trouble. For the most part, I was invisible and I liked it that way.

"Just have a seat, Carson," Mrs. Greene said when I entered.

I sat in the chair she indicated.

"First of all, you're not in trouble," she said. I breathed a sigh of relief. "However, the administration office is concerned with your social skills. We feel that your social skills are just as important as your academic skills. We fear that ever since your father passed away, you've become a hermit."

"Is that bad?"

"Not bad so much as alarming. We think that it may better on you if you had a friend." She began to scribble a note on a sticky note. "Just consider what I said." I nodded and she sent me back to class. The bell for sixth period sounded and the hall was suddenly filled with students.

"So what'd you do?" asked a voice from behind me. I turned to see John Allerdyce from my American Lit class standing behind me.

"Oh, nothing. They pulled me aside to tell me I have a social problem."

"Never stopped me," he said. And then he was gone. John Allerdyce was the kind of guy a lot of girls would dream of. He was tall with light hair and a wonderful accent. He was from Australia. But I was never into that whole mysterious guy thing.

I went through the rest of the day in a daze. The counselor had brought up some painful memories when she mentioned my dad. It had been six months since the flood that had taken his life. I had buried all those emotions when he had been buried. But now, those emotions arose again.

Stay Tuned for Chapter 2: The cat's Meow


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: so here's chapter 2. not the best, writing techniquewise... but it gets the point across... enjoy!**

Chapter Two: The Cat's Meow

It started raining as I walked from the bus stop. I didn't like rain. Rain led to floods. Floods kill. I ran home.

"Shoes off," my mom said as I walked inside. I kicked my soggy sneakers off in the foyer.

"How was school?"

"Fine," I replied. She didn't need to know about my meeting with the counselor. It would just make her worry anyway. I ran upstairs to my room. I changed out of my wet clothes and into dry sweats and one of my dad's old flannels. My mom had not wanted to keep them. But I didn't want to forget him. So I kept a box of his flannels in my closet.

The rain began to let up. I looked out the window at the heavy drops and remembered the day Hurricane Katrina had hit. My dad was visiting his sick mother in New Orleans. Nobody thought the storm was going to hit so hard. But it did.

I opened the window. The rain was gone. The wind blew my black hair away from my face. It was soothing. I lay down on my bed and let sleep consume me.

_It was raining. Heavy drops fell from the sky onto my face. It was dark as midnight. I couldn't tell if I was outside or inside. But water surrounded me, trying to claim me as its own. I was scared. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think. My heart raced in my chest. I heard a piercing scream. It took me a moment to realize it was my own. I felt lost. I heard cries from others around me. But I couldn't see them. I spun out of control in the water, fighting for air…_

I sat up in bed soaking wet. The window was still open and rain was pouring in. I cleared my head and got up to close the window. A perfectly straight line of water went from the window to the bed. I didn't think much of it and went to the linen closet to get some towels. I knew I wasn't going to go back to sleep.

I lay on my back contemplating the rain. I had left my window open in the rain before and had never been soaked. So why was tonight different? Why was I soaking wet? I couldn't sit still anymore. I got up and went into the bathroom.

I crouched down next to the tub and turned the water on. I stared at it. I focused intently on the water. _Do something_, I willed it. But it continued to fall in a steady stream. I closed my eyes. Thoughts of my dad and the raging water burying him in a watery grave. I opened my eyes and looked past the water at the wall. The water began to move upwards. I looked back at the water and it went back to normal. My head spun. I stood up and walked back to my room. I glanced at the mirror on the way out. My usually brown eyes were now an icy blue.

School seemed so confining the next day. I kept fidgeting and forgot what my teachers said almost instantly. I felt out of place.

"Mind if I sit here?" asked a rather cheerful voice from behind me.

"Sure," I replied. She had longish brown hair pulled high into a ponytail with two thick strands in her face. "I'm Kitty. Just transferred from New York."

"Nice to meet you," I replied, suddenly feeling very shy. "I'm Carson. You don't sound like you're from New York."

"We've moved around so many times I'm not even sure where I'm from," she replied. We both laughed. "My dad died a few years ago and my mom has been running from memories," she said.

"I'm sorry," I replied. "I lost my dad too. During Hurricane Katrina."

It went on like that for about a month. Kitty and I became friends. We shared three classes after lunch.

"Wanna study together after school today? I feel like I'm gonna bomb on tomorrow's history test."

"Yeah, sure," I replied. I didn't really want Kitty to throw off the routine I had developed in the last month. It was apparent that this ability was more than a dream. It was a gift. I had been honing my skills. I could now move the water whenever I wanted.

We had been studying for about thirty minutes and I was restless.

"Can we take a break?" I asked.

"We haven't been at it for that long," Kitty replied.

"I know. But I think we've absorbed enough information to last a lifetime. I can't sit still anymore."

"Okay, we'll take a break. What do you wanna do?"

"Let's go for a walk. There's this place I want to show you."

There was a lake in the woods just outside of the neighborhood. It was deep and the water was clear. I had never gone in. I never swam alone. Not since my dad had died. I didn't want to die the same way he had. But the lake was serene. A great place for thinking.

"This is beautiful," Kitty said once we got there.

"Yeah," I replied. "It is."

"Let's go swimming," she said.

"It's too cold," I replied. "Plus we don't have suits."

"Who cares?" she jumped in fully clothed. I laughed. "Come on! The waters great!" she was shivering.

"I don't think so!" I called back. "It's way too cold."

She slipped and went under. She didn't come up for a few moments.

"Not funny, Kitty!" I called. "I'm not coming in after you." She still didn't come up. I stood up on the rock I had been sitting on. "Kitty?" I started to get worried. "Kitty!" No answer. My hands shook. I was scared. I jumped in. the water was even colder than I thought. I swam around searching for her. I felt a body part. An arm! I dove under and grabbed her. She wasn't breathing. I carried her on shore. I wasn't sure what to do. But before I knew it, I had opened her mouth. I felt my hands go rigid as I began to draw the water from her. She spluttered back to life.

She looked confused.

"Hey, you made it in," she smiled and coughed.

"Kitty, you almost drowned," I said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah. How did you do it?"

"Do what?" I replied.

"It was like the water was pulled out of my lungs." I winced. I guess it was time I shared my secret.

"Kitty, there's something I have to show you."

"Okay," she replied, wrapping her arms around her in attempt to get warm. I closed my eyes and began to make the lake water dance. Her reaction wasn't what I expected. Her eyes didn't get bigger, she didn't scream.

"That's cool." That was all she said. "Now it's my turn." I looked at her with confusion. "I have a secret for you. I'm not really from New York. I transferred here from New York, yes. But I'm from Illinois. I live in New York with a… a professor named Charles Xavier. He runs a school for… for people like me… people like us." She picked up a nearby rock. "This is what I can do." Suddenly, the rock fell through her hand. "The professor helped me learn to control my… my gift. He can help you too."

"Are you saying I'm one of those freaks who cause train wrecks and blow up cities?" I asked in alarm. "This isn't a gift. It's only a curse to be a dirty mutant."

"Carson, listen to me. You saved my life with your power. Think of all the other good things you could do with it. Think about it."

**So what do you think? thanks so much for the reveiws. you made me feel good!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Monster

The bell sounded in the hallway. Hurriedly, I wiped tears from my eyes. The pranks were getting worse. Rapidly, I loosened the braid from my hair. The black strands fell three inches shorter than they had when I had pulled it into a tight French braid. I ran my fingers through the thick hair trying to straighten it. No matter what I did, I couldn't change it. It was wavy from being in a tight braid since the night before.

"Carson?" Kitty asked, suddenly beside me. "Are you… you're hair…" her voice trailed off. "Chris Jole, right?"

I nodded, more tears falling from my eyes.

"We gotta do something about this," she muttered. "Have you told anyone? He can't keep picking on you," she said.

"No," I whispered. "They'll send me back to the shrink who will try to fix me."

"You went to a shrink before because of your dad's death?" I nodded. "I think you should tell someone."

"I don't want pity," I stated. "I don't wanna go back to a shrink."

"They won't send you to a shrink," she replied. She put her arm around my shoulders. "Let's go to class," she said. I wiped my eyes and followed her.

Everyone stared as we entered the classroom. Kitty made up some stupid excuse that I didn't quite register. Biology was a long class, or so it seemed that day. I stared out at the rain, malice in my eyes. I hated rain. It murdered. I felt hot tears roll down my cheeks.

"Miss Laine?" Mr. Myles said, snapping me from my trance. "Care to join us in the fascinating world of mitosis?"

I mumbled a half-hearted apology. But I couldn't take my eyes from the rain. I suddenly felt power building up within me. I couldn't hold it in.

"May I use the restroom?" I asked suddenly, interrupting Mr. Myles.

"Can you wait till I finish the notes?" he asked.

"No, it's an emergency."

"Class is almost over," he replied. I couldn't believe I was arguing with my teacher. Luckily, the bell rang a few moments later. I was the first one out of the room. I didn't go to seventh period. I went outside. Rain caressed my body. The surge of power I had felt in biology was magnified by a million. Before I knew what I was doing, I was headed for the student parking lot. Christ Jole drove a white Mitsubishi. And it was parked in space number 243. He would find it that afternoon with holes in the windshield. Water could be a powerful thing when traveling at an enormous speed.

After the damage was done, I ran. I didn't know where I was going. And I only had about five dollars on me. But I knew that I couldn't stay in North Carolina anymore. I considered myself I monster. True, I hadn't killed anyone. But I had done something bad and that nauseous feeling came over me again. I was a monster.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: You Are Who You Choose to Be

"Running away?" Kitty asked, suddenly next to me. It had been two days since I had damaged Chris' car. I was sitting at the bus stop waiting for the bus that would take me to a small town just outside of Charlotte.

"It's not like I can go back," I replied.

"Where will you go?"

"Charlotte," I replied. "My aunt lives there."

"There are other options," Kitty said, matter-of-factly.

"Kitty, I can't afford to pay for that car I damaged."

"But you can come with me."

"And go where? New York? There's nothing for me there."

"There's everything there, Carson. You could learn to use your gift for good."

"This isn't a gift!" I shouted. "Water kills! Water killed my father and turned me into a monster." I was crying now. "This is a curse and I don't want it. I just want to be like everyone else. My goal in life is to be invisible. And that's the one thing I'm good at."

"Carson, you may see water as only a murderer. But don't forget, you saved my life. Yes, there are bad mutants out there who cause train wrecks and blow up cities. But there are also good mutants. None of us asked for our powers. None of us asked to be the butt of humanity, to be treated as different because of the way we were born. I never asked to be feared by my own mother."

"Stop talking to me like I'm one of you! I am not a mutant! I am not a dirty mutant! I don't have powers!"

"Carson, whether you want to believe it or not, you are one of us." I realized that Kitty was crying too. "Obviously, you have accepted it because if you hadn't, you wouldn't have trashed Chris's windshield. You don't have to be a monster. You are who you choose to be."

**A/N: I know it was short but i'm trying to build something up for the next chapter...**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: sorry for the long wait. you see, there were these aliens... anyway, here's the next chapter. i hope you enjoy...**

Chapter Five: Playing With Fire

_Rain fell from the sky. But it wasn't normal rain. It was coated with red-orange flames. They destroyed everything around. I was encircled by flames. But I heard a voice calling me. _

_Carson... Carson... Carson… Carson! _

I sat up in bed. Sweat caressed my forehead. It had been raining steadily for three days. And for three nights, I had been waking up at two in the morning from this nightmare. I couldn't decide which was more dangerous, the fire or the water. As of late I had just decided to avoid both as much as possible.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and took out the dream journal I had been keeping for about three weeks.

_Tuesday March 3. 2:12 am_

_I awoke from the same dream again. I'm still trying to decide which is stronger, water or fire. I think both are destructive and I'll avoid both as much as humanly possible. God, I don't even take showers that last longer than thirty minutes. This fear of mine is becoming highly irrational. I've been spending a lot of time inside avoiding the rain. I don't know what good it'll do. If it rains hard enough, it can still flood. I don't have much to worry about when it comes to fire. True, my mom likes to light candles every now and then. But I've gotten into the habit of blowing them out when she's not looking. I'm sick of this. I need a hobby to take my mind off of this. I'm becoming one of those obsessed creepy people who end up robbing banks and whatnot. God, I'm a freak...

* * *

_

"Carson, did you hear me?" Kitty asked the next day at lunch.

"I'm sorry, what?" I had been staring off into space, hardly aware of her existence.

"I asked if you realized that John's eyes were boring into you."

"Oh." I turned around and sure enough, John smiled and motioned for me to come over. I stood up.

"You're not seriously gonna go see what he wants, are you?" Kitty asked with an incredulous look.

"Why not?" I asked.

"I don't like him," Kitty said.

"Do you even know him?"

"He's in two of my classes. I don't like him."

"Well, I'm gonna go see what he wants anyway." I walked over to his table.

"She doesn't like me," he said when I sat down.

"Who, Kitty? She just thinks you're one of those 'bad boys'."

"Nope. I'm pretty sure she doesn't like me."

"What would give you that idea?"

"The evil glares she's been giving me since she got here might have something to do with it. Why do you hang out with such a judgmental person?"

"Ok, ok, I know you didn't call me over to criticize my friends. So what do you want?"

"Nice. I invite you to sit with me and automatically, you assume that I want something. You know what they say about people who assume things. I don't know if I even want to talk to you anymore." He grinned. I started to laugh. "Anyway, I wanted to ask if you wanted to attend the Spring Fling next weekend."

"I don't know, John," I replied. "I don't really know you that well."

"Well let's get to know each other," he said. "Hi. I'm John Allerdyce." He held out his hand. I smiled and took his warm hand in mine.

"And I'm Carson Laine." We shook hands.

"Now we know each other. So how about that dance?"

"John, give me the week to think about it and I'll get back to you."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: i know it was a long wait for such a short chapter. i'm sorry. but i thought this was a good place to stop. enjoy! reviews are much appreciated.** **the next chapter will be up very soon. **

Chapter Six: Fire

_Flames burned, consuming everything around it. Burning…burning…burning… _

I sat up in bed, the smell of smoke hung in the air like a fog. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think. All I knew was that I had to get out of the house. I coughed and threw myself from my bed onto the ground. I crawled out of the room and down the stairs. I found the front door and crawled, coughing onto the front lawn. I couldn't breathe…

I awoke in a white room with floral wallpaper. I didn't know where I was or how I got there. The only thing I remembered was the fire.

Kitty came into the room a little while later.

"Hey," she said, sitting in a nearby chair. "How are you feeling?"

"What happened?"

"There was a fire."

"No kidding," I muttered.

"Your mother…"

"What? No. I don't believe you."

"She didn't make it out in time."

Tears began to roll down my cheeks and onto the white linen.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: sorry that the last chapter was sad. but it was important for the story line.**

Chapter Seven

"Carson, I think that now would be ample time to talk," Kitty said, entering my hospital room. I was making the bed. I was finally allowed to leave.

"I don't want to talk about New York anymore. I'll go to Charlotte and live with my aunt and forget everything."

"That's not what I was going to talk to you about. I think its time I told you the truth."

"The truth?"

"Carson, I'm not here because my dad died. I don't live in New York because my dad died either. My dad isn't even dead. He's alive and well in Illinois. I wasn't actually transferred from New York, either. I came from there but I'm actually not supposed to be at your school but thanks to the professor, no one suspects anything. I'm only supposed to be here as long as it takes to get you to join our group."

"How did you know to come here?"

"The professor is a powerful telepath and he has this machine called Cerebro that amplifies his power. It's how he found you. It's how he found me."

"So basically, you lied to me."

"What? No, I-"

"You didn't come up to me looking for a friend because you were at a new school. You came to me looking for someone to join your- your cult!"

"Carson, it's not a cult. It's-"

"It is a cult. I don't want to join your group. I don't want to be mutant!" I stormed out of the room.

"Carson!" I heard Kitty call from behind me. "Carson, wait!" But I was gone, storming out the doors and to the parking lot. Waiting there, of course, was John.

"With friends like that, who needs enemies?" he said, startling me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Your little quarrel with Kitty. I totally agree with you. How can you trust someone who can read your thoughts? They're always one step ahead."

"You heard that?" my eyes widened. "How much do you know?"

"I know everything." I turned to run. To run away from Raleigh and this whole mutant business.

"Wait," he said, grabbing my arm. "You don't have to run."

"I've got nothing tying me down here anymore," I said. "I could go wherever I wanted and no one would care." I felt hot tears rolling down my cheeks now.

"Don't cry," he said, wiping away a stray tear on my cheek with his warm thumb. Everything about John was warm, soothing. Almost comforting. "Come with me," he whispered. "Somewhere where you don't have to hide who you are."

* * *

"Watch," he said. I found myself in an old warehouse of some sort. I don't know how he expected me to watch when it was completely dark. He silenced me, as I was about to protest. And then, there was a flicker of light. I wondered if he had a match. But then the flame began to dance. Not as if he had breathed on it but as if it was alive. Then it began to move. Then he was holding me by my shoulders with both hands and the flame moved to light his face. He smiled an impish grin, his black eyes staring intently at the dancing flame. And then it was gone in the blink of an eye.

"We aren't so different," he said.

We began to talk about everything. His childhood. And mine. It was great to actually tell someone how I felt when my dad died. He seemed to understand. He didn't push me, telling me that our powers were gifts instead of curses.

"Interesting," I said. "That my father should be killed by water and my mother by fire."

"Yeah," he replied. "It is interesting. But more interesting is that you became afraid of water after your dad died. Why is it that you aren't afraid of me when fire killed your mother?"

"I don't know, exactly," I replied. "You make me feel safe." I knew I was treading water here. But John made me feel safe enough that I could tell him.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: DONT SHOOT! i didnt mean to! it wasnt my fault. i know its been a while. but school's been kinda hectic. so here i am with a new chapter! chapter nine is in progress so dont worry. hopefully, you wont have to wait for the next one. **

**Disclaimer i forgot it in all the other chappies but you probably already know that i own no one except Carson. but if i _did_ own Pyro...**

**Onward...

* * *

**

Chapter Eight

Charlotte seemed so far away. As I sat on the bus, I thought about the last words I had said to Kitty. They hadn't been pretty.

"There are still options, Carson," Kitty had said. "You've got nothing holding you back anymore."

"I'm not going to New York," I'd replied. "I'm going to Charlotte to live with my aunt. I never want to see you again, Katherine Pryde." And that had been that.

I regretted every word.

The bus came to a sudden halt. An old woman came on and shuffled to the back next to me.

"Is this seat taken?" she asked in a hoarse voice. I shook my head and she sat next to me.

"Lovely day isn't it," she said. I looked out the window at the rain pelting the earth.

"Not particularly," I replied.

"Rain is a wonderful thing, is it not? Without it, mankind would cease to exist."

"I suppose so," I replied.

"Where are you headed?" she asked suddenly.

"Charlotte. To see my aunt."

"You ever goin' back?"

"No." The word was painful. But I could never go back home. There were too many memories.

"Pity."

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Just making my rounds," she replied. "I'm going to New York after this."

"Where in New York?" I asked.

"Bayville." Hadn't Kitty said something about Bayville? I wracked my brain but couldn't remember.

"What is your name?" I asked.

"My name is Raven Darkholme," she replied.

Suddenly the bus came to another sudden halt. I looked up to see what was going on. All of the passengers were looking out the windows to see what was happening.

"Come with me." The whisper was faint but I head it. I looked over at the woman next to me. But she wasn't the bent old lady that had sat down. She was now a rather young lady with blue skin, yellow eyes and flaming red hair.

"What?" I asked.

"Come with me," she said again.

"I don't even know you," I said.

"Yes you do." Suddenly before my eyes, the skin on her face transformed and she became my mother. Then she was my father. Then she was John. Then Kitty. Then the old lady. Then back to the lady with the blue skin. My head spun.

"I can be whoever you want me to be."

There was a ruckus as the bus began to shake.

"What's going on?" I yelled over the other screaming voices.

"I'll explain later," said Raven as she grabbed my hand and half dragged me off of the bus.

"I'm not running any further," I said. Raven turned to look back at me. "At least, not till I get some answers."

She rolled her eyes.

"I am Mystique. I'm a shape-shifter. I work with mutants. People like you. I can help you to use your powers for the benefit of-"

"Mankind, right?" I interrupted.

"No. And don't interrupt me. Mankind has brushed us aside, treated us like dirt. Why should we work for the benefit of them, the self-absorbed race that has been behind so much mutant oppression? We should be working for the benefit of mutantkind! Let's go." She grabbed my arm and started pulling me through the woods.

We came to a ramshackle little house on the edge of the woods just before the road.

"This is it," she said, leading me through the door.

"This is what?" I asked raising my eyebrow at the mess before me.

"I know it doesn't look like much. But you get used to it," said a familiar voice from another room. In walked John Allerdyce in all his glory.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Force

I gasped.

"What are you doing here?"

He ran at me and hugged me.

"I was in the neighborhood. How are ya?"

"I'm okay," I replied.

"I'll show her around, Mystique," he said. She shrugged and walked away. "So this is it. The Brotherhood. This is where we… ya know, hang." We came to a living area where a sickly looking pale kid was laying on a sofa. A fly was buzzing around his head. In an instant, his tongue shot out and he caught it. I shuddered.

"That's Todd Tolensky. Toad."

"Nice to, uh, make your acquaintance," he said, hopping over to us. He held out his hand but I didn't shake it.

"That's Blob over there with the sandwich," John said, pointing out a man of rather unusual size. The armchair he was sitting in sagged and groaned in protest at the heavy burden it carried. Blob waved his hand with thick, sausage-like fingers at me.

Then the house shook.

"Chill, Lance," Toad called to an opposite room. A taller kid with dark hair came into the room.

"Bite me, Toad," he replied. The ground shook under Toad and he fell. Lance laughed and John rolled his eyes.

"So that's the guys."

"That's a lot of boys in one house," I said, a little uneasy.

"Oh, don't worry," John said. "Tabitha and Wanda will be here later. Come on, I'll show you your room."

John led me to a small room at the back of the house. And I mean very small. Like closet small.

"This is it?" I asked

"It's not a palace, but hey!" John said. "It's living on your own. Sorta anyway. It offers a hell of a lot more freedom than living with parents, ya know?"

"How long have you been here?"

"A few days. After I left the warehouse, I met Mystique. She brought me here."

"What are the rules for living here?"

"Well, there aren't any," John replied. "Except you have to go to school. We gotta maintain a little bit of normalcy here. And you have to do what Mystique says. She's kinda the head honcho around here. You okay?" I realized that my eyes were showing more than I wanted to reveal.

"Nothing," I replied. "It's just been a really long day."

"I understand. I'll go and you can get settled."

John left and I sat down on the small cot. Was this what my life had reduced to? Living in a ramshackle little house with all these people? Sleeping on a cot that smells faintly of vomit? Living in a closet? Was this really all I had to live for now?

I must have fallen asleep. Because I woke up disoriented on the cot. I looked out the window to see that it was dark. I glanced at my watch. It was four AM. I groaned and wiped my eyes. I stood up and walked out the door and into the living area. I walked outside and shivered, realizing that North Carolina springs and New York springs differed greatly. Before I could stop them, I felt tears rolling down my cheeks. I wiped at them furiously but to no avail.

"Hey."

I started and turned to see John standing there.

"God, don't you ever sleep?"

"I can't."

"Then are you following me or something?"

"Why so hostile? I thought you liked hanging with me."

"Don't twist this around, John. You snuck up on me, remember?"

"I see how it is." He turned and I swore under my breath as he started to leave.

"Don't do that," I called.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Don't walk away angry." It started to rain and I felt myself stiffen.

"It's what I do best," he said. And then he was gone in a red haze. I felt sadness and anger and suddenly, I felt myself begin to shake. The rain stopped hitting me in the face and started to surround me. It was like being inside of a bubble. I curled up as the waves encompassed me. So much power… So much power…

I sat up. I was soaking and lying in the grass in front of the house. It was still dark. I looked at my watch. Six AM. The house was buzzing with movement as the others bustled to get ready for school. I walked inside. Two girls stood to greet me. Both had short hair, though one was fair and the other dark. The dark haired one wore a red cape and the blonde wore a black tee. Both wore heavy eye make up.

"I'm Wanda," the dark haired one said. "Also known as the Scarlet Witch."

"And I'm Tabitha," the blonde said. "Boom-Boom."

"I'm Carson…" I mumbled, walking past them into my room. On the bed was a clean outfit for me.

"We noticed you forgot your bag on the bus," Wanda said. "So we provided some for you."

"Thanks," I said, closing the door. I changed into the clothes and walked out the door.

"Stick with us," Tabitha said. "We'll make sure your first day at Bayville High goes nice and smooth."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: three chappies in three days, ya'll. i'm on a roll!**

Chapter Ten: Mutant High

It was just like the school back home. There were kids hanging in groups in the cafeteria and in the halls before the bell. It was loud like my old school. And I was still invisible.

"Come on, Carson," Tabitha said. I looked up just in time to see the red of Wanda's cape disappear into the ladies room. Tabitha half-dragged me to follow.

Wanda was leaning against a wall terrorizing two freshmen.

"So you come in here when?" she asked them.

"When you're not," one of the girls mumbled. I felt for them. Bullying wasn't right.

"You know, ah don't think you should be doin' that," said a voice from behind. We turned around and there was this pale girl dressed in green and black. Her hair was dark brown except for the two thick white streaks in her face.

"And who are you to be telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing?" Wanda asked her.

"Ah'm Rogue. Just transferred here. Gotta problem with that?"

"Just stay outta my way," Wanda said, pushing past her and out of the room. Tabitha and I followed.

"That's the front office," Wanda said, pointing at a grey room. "Go get your paperwork and stuff."

I walked in and talked to the lady at the front desk.

"Um, this is my first day here and I'm a little lost," I said.

"Then you're in the right place. What's your name?"

"Carson Laine," I replied.

"Ok, here we go. Here's your schedule and a map. Try not to get lost. I hope you enjoy your first day at Bayville." Outside we heard a ruckus and Mrs. Shields stood up to see what was going on.

"Todd Tolensky! Jake Bradshaw!" She said, seizing the pale kid and the tall jock by their ears. "Miss Darkholme's office. Now." She led Todd and Jake over to a pair of chairs on the far side of the office. "I'm sorry, Carson," she said, turning to me. "Just go down that hall and you'll find you're first class in room 213."

"Thank you," I said, leaving the office. I walked down the hall and found my first class. Geometry. I sat at the back near the window as the teacher began to talk about proofs and linear pairs. I sort of dozed off, as I had already gone over this material in North Carolina.

The day moved slowly but smoothly. I didn't have any classes with Wanda or Tabitha. Or any of the other kids from the house. But Rogue was in my English class. She sat at the back with her arms crossed and a sullen look on her face. Another kid who sat near her with short brown hair and an odd pair of sunglasses that he seemed never to take off seemed like he was trying to be nice to her. But she just sulked. After class, he came up to me.

"I'm Scott," he said. "Hope you like Bayville." His red glasses gleamed in the fluorescent light before he was gone.

As we were walking home from school that day, a few kids came up to us.

"If it isn't the socially elite," said one that I recognized as Jake from that morning.

"And if it isn't the 'cool ones'," John said. "Buzz off Jake.

"Who's the new chick?" Jake asked, looking at me. I bit m lip.

"None of your business," Tabitha said, stepping in for me.

"Get outta my way," Jake said, pushing her. Tabitha shoved back and the fight began. Lance and Wanda and Tabitha teamed up against Jake and a few of his cronies. But it didn't last long. There was a small explosion in front of Jake and he was caught off guard.

"Don't mess with us," Tabitha yelled as we all began to run.

Once out of sight and earshot, Tabitha handed me a knife.

"If anyone, and I mean anyone gives you trouble and you can't use your powers, pull this on 'em. It gets them runnin' just as fast."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: Things Change

"How come ya'll don't hang out with that Rogue girl?" I asked Tabitha that night.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, she seems… dark… like you and Wanda."

Tabitha chuckled.

"She may be 'dark'," she said. "But she's not like us. She's what I used to be. She's one of them."

"Them?" I asked. "I don't follow."

"No doubt Miss Katherine Pryde told you all about the X-Men. I used to be one of them. They took me in with open arms."

"Why did you leave?" I asked.

"Things change," she replied simply.

"How did you find out about your powers?"

"I guess I have my dad to thank for that. He discovered 'em before I was even sure. It started with one little bomb. I remember it perfectly. I was makin' dinner for the old man and me and the microwave wasn't working right. So I got frustrated and the next thing I knew, it had exploded.

"I was a little scared. But it started to give my dad ideas. He started taking me places with him. To break into places and steal money. Eventually, I got fed up with it and ran away. That's when I met the X-Men. But all the do-goodness started to wear me out. Then I met Mystique who brought me here. This place is much more my style."

"Have you seen your dad since you left?"

"Yeah. He tried to get me to come back with him. Makin' up some nonsense about having changed or something. As soon as we were out of the county, he tried to get me to break into a bank. But I haven't seen him since then."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"There's nothin' to be sorry about," She said. "My dad was a jerk. And I'm glad he's rottin' in some jail somewhere."

"My dad was my best friend," I whispered.

"It's good not to get attached. Things change, ya know."

"Yeah," I replied. "I know."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"Group projects!" Mr. Haws said the next day in English. "Always was the better part of school. And the best thing about this assignment is that I'm gonna pick your groups!" There came a few moans from the class. "You're going to be presenting one of Shakespeare's famous plays." He started pairing people off. He got to the back of the room and realized that there were three of us left. Scott, Rogue, and me.

"Carson, right?" Scott asked me once we were seated in a group.

"Yeah," I replied, suddenly feeling shy. Rogue, I noticed, wore a pair of black gloves. Her shirt was a black tank top with green lace covering her arms. She wore a black skirt and black boots and black lipstick. She was definitely the "dark" sort of person. She sat with her arms folded across her chest.

"Ah'm not happy about this," she said, leaning back in her chair.

"It's not like we _chose_ our groups," Scott said through gritted teeth. "Let's just get this done and over with."

"What exactly are we supposed to do?" Rogue asked.

"'Present your play to the class in a creative way'," Scott read from the rubric we were given. "'You can act it out or use a poster or whatever as long as the story gets told.' This is a load of crap."

"Ah agree," Rogue replied. "And if Ah didn't have ta pass this dumb class, Ah'd say we skip it."

"Yeah, but the fact is that we _do_ need these points so let's suck it up and do it," Scott said. Just then, the bell rang. "I'll meet you at the library after school, is that okay?"

"Ah'll be there," Rogue said.

"Me too," I replied.

I walked into the cafeteria to see John, Tabitha, Wanda, and Lance waiting for me at a table. I suddenly decided that I didn't want to sit with them. So I quickly made an escape to the library before they could see me.

I grabbed a book and tried to read. But the words blurred before my eyes. I had been so detached since I had come here and I was sick of it. I hurriedly wiped at the tears.

"Tissue?" asked a voice suddenly next to me. I smiled slightly and took one from the box he held out. I wiped at my eyes and blew my nose.

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem." He smiled. His long black hair fell into his face in two thick strands. The rest was tucked behind his ears. "I'm Kurt Wagner."

"Nice to meet you," I said, quietly. "I'm Carson."

"Yeah, I know. You're in my biology class. I sit in the back."

"Oh."

"If you have, like, any questions about, like, the school or people or whatever, you can ask me."

"Thanks." And then he was gone. People here were a lot nicer than people back home, I thought. The bell rang and I left the library for my next class. Algebra II. I saw John standing out side of the library door. He was waiting for me.

"You ditched us at lunch," he said.

"I wasn't hungry," I replied.

He grabbed my wrist.

"That hurts, John," I said, trying to pull away. His hand was hot. Hotter than it should have been.

"Why didn't you sit with us at lunch?"

"I-I was in the library. I wasn't hungry." I kept trying to pull away but his grip was iron.

"That's not true. From now on you sit with us at lunch." He let me go and stormed off. I cradled my burning wrist and headed to class. It started to rain and that power I always felt came with it. I started to shake. I had to get out.

I never made it all the way to Algebra. I took a detour that led me outside. Before I knew it, I wasn't on the school grounds anymore. I just ran, letting the rain pelt me as I did. I ran until I couldn't breathe anymore. Then I collapsed on the ground. I didn't know where I was but I was more comfortable than I had been in a long time. The next thing I knew, I was floating between conscious and unconscious.

_Running… running…Running… _

_A voice called out my name. Carson… Come home…Water fell from the ground. It was raining backwards… _

I sat up with a start. I was soaked with rain water and shaking all over. But I was no longer outside. I was on a bed in a white room with a big window.

"You want somethin' to eat?" a voice asked.

I turned to see a red-haired girl sitting on a chair reading a book.

"Where am I?" I asked, sitting up.

_You are at the Xavier Mansion for gifted youngsters_, a voice said in my head. I looked around to see where it had come from.

_Do not be alarmed. My name is Professor Charles Xavier. You are amongst friends here. _

"I'm Jean Grey," the red-head said.

"Carson," I replied. "How did I get here and why is there a voice in my head?"

"The professor is a powerful telepath and we found you unconscious in an alley," Jean replied. I must have gotten a look of terror on my face because she went on to add that the professor wouldn't use his powers to hurt me or make me feel uncomfortable. "He's a mentor and a teacher. He can help you control your powers."

It suddenly hit me that these were the people that Kitty had been talking about. These were the X-Men.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: this would have been up a long time ago but there was a problem with my account. then i was away on spring break...**

Chapter Thirteen: Murderer

_You are by no means a prisoner here_, he had said. _You can leave at any time_. And where was I now? Now I was running for my life. I never should have left. When I had gotten back, John had become a monster. He had grabbed my arm like before only this time, there were no witnesses like at the school. I pulled my sleeve up to look at the burn and felt a new stream of tears down my cheeks.

"This wasn't supposed to be like this!" John had said. In sudden terror, I had made the rain, the same rain I was running through now, I made it come gushing through the window. It swirled around John. In his surprise, he let me go and I didn't hesitate. In my haste, I left all of my stuff. But it didn't matter. I couldn't stand another moment in that place.

I turned to see that no one was following me. But I was lost in New York with no family and no friends. I leaned against a wall in an alley to catch my breath.  
"You lost, kid?" asked a voice.

I spun around and saw a man leaning against the adjacent wall, a cowboy hat on his head and a toothpick in his mouth. I started to run away. And he didn't try to stop me. I kept running, my heart pounding that familiar tune. _Failure…failure_, it beat. Could I go back to the mansion? Would they take me in now that I may have murdered John Allerdyce? I sat in an alley, arms around my knees, tears streaming down my cheeks. I wanted to scream. I had been raised as a Christian but now all I wanted to do was scream at God. Why would he let this happen? Why did I have to be what I was? Why had both my parents died? Why was sitting here in a godforsaken alley, trying to find something stable in what was left of my life? If there was a God, why was all this happening?

That was the moment I lost all faith in god.

In the next moment, I felt the ground shake beneath my feet. I looked up to see them all standing there. Wanda, Tabitha, Blob, Toad, Lance, and Mystique were surrounding me.

"Do you know where John is right now?" Tabitha asked me, her voice thick with hatred. "He's dead. And do you know what?" She pointed a shaking finger in my face. "_You_ killed him!"

**A/N: cliffhangers are great, arent they?**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: yeah, new chappie and all that... enjoy.**

Chapter fourteen: We Never Asked For This

"Why do you care so much?" Toad asked Tabitha.

"I don't," she replied through clenched teeth.

I took the opportunity to run. But I wasn't fast enough. The ground shook under me and I fell to the ground and they were around me again.

"I could blow your brains out right now," Tabitha said. "I could end your life like you ended John's. But I won't. But when I'm done with you, you're gonna wish you were dead."

I could have fought back. It was raining. Power was on my side. But I couldn't focus enough to make the water do anything but fall. It was dark. The sun had gone down hours before. I shook in the cold air.

"Ah don't think that's a good idea," a familiar voice said from behind us.

"And why not?" Tabitha asked.

"'Cause Ah got ten bucks sayin' you're gonna regret it." Rogue was leaning against an adjacent wall, arms folded against her chest. She pushed herself from the wall and walked over.

"You gonna try to stop me?" Tabitha asked.

"Oh, no," Rogue replied. "Ah'm most definitely gonna stop you. There ain't no try about it."

"I don't know who you think you are," Tabitha said. "But you're outnumbered five to one."

"The odds are a little unfair. You want me to wait while you get reinforcements?"

"Your sarcasm is infuriating," Tabitha said, getting a bomb ready. She didn't get very far though. In a moment, Rogue grabbed her arm and Tabitha passed out on the ground at her feet.

"What'd you do to her?" Toad screamed. Rogue had made her own bomb and thrown it at them.

"Come with me," she said, putting her glove back on and holding out her hand. Naturally, I hesitated.

"Ah can't hurt you if Ah can't touch your skin," she said.

I reached up and grabbed her hand. We ran, all the while, she threw bombs back at our pursuers.

"The professor wants to teach you to control your powers." She said once we were in the safety of the mansion kitchen.

"Why?" I asked. "This isn't a gift. This is a curse. It kills people. Water kills people."

"And what do you think Ah said when Ah first found out about mine? When Ah touch people, Ah zap the life out of them. You know what happened to the first boy Ah ever kissed?"

I shook my head.

"He was in a coma for three weeks." She shook her head in despair. "That was the night Ah left. Ah was alone and scared. Ah thought people would come to kill me like they had so many other mutants. And then I met the professor. He's been showin' me that Ah can be normal."

"The professor's a telepath, right?" I asked.

This took her by surprise.

"Yeah. Why?"

"How do you know he's not brainwashing you all?"

This leaves her speechless.

"See," I said. "I don't want to be a mutant. I don't want to live here with other mutants. I just wanna go home and live a normal life."

"None of us asked for this," Rogue said. "None of us wanted this."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen: Sentinels

"Today is the first day that America takes a stand against the mutant terrorist. Today, we launch the Sentinels, mutant trackers and destroyers. We believe that this is going to be the most effective way to stop the mutant terrorists." The President said. "These Sentinels determine between mutant DNA and that of normal human beings. It is time that we took the matter of mutants into our own hands…"

I couldn't watch anymore. I flipped the collar of my jacket up for protection against the wind and moved on. I had nowhere to go. I was living in Charlotte with my aunt and uncle. It had been a month since I left New York. And I was living a pretty routine life. I went to a private school and I attended church with my aunt and uncle. I didn't have any friends. And I was pretty reluctant to consider my aunt and uncle as family. They lived in a large two story suburban house with a first floor master bedroom. Basically, they lived downstairs and I lived upstairs. It was almost like having my own apartment.

I walked to a small downtown café and ordered a small latte. I took my latte to a small park and sat with a book.

I could hear the playful laughter and the screams of children playing not too far away. Suddenly, that playful laughter turned to screams of fear. I looked up to see children running from a giant robot type thing. I should have run. It was a sentinel and I knew it. But here I was, frozen with fear. I could have done something. There was a fountain nearby. I could have distracted the sentinel so that it didn't hurt the innocent people. It was here for me. But I didn't do anything. I hesitated.

The sentinel got closer and I felt my heart rate speed up.

"Mutant DNA confirmed," a metallic voice said from the giant machine. That's when I finally started to run.

It chased me. For every one of its steps, I took seven. I wasn't going to be able to escape. But I knew that I had to lure it away from innocents. I found a small field and made a break for it. Then I realized that there was nothing I could do once I got there. I was running to my death. There was no water out there. Nothing I could use to my advantage. Nothing I could do. The sentinel grabbed me and lifted me off the ground.

"Begin annihilation," it said in its metallic voice. Its eyes began to glow red. I knew it was over.

Suddenly, I was no longer in the hand of the sentinel. Rather, I was standing in a tree next to a fuzzy blue boy. Instinctively, I screamed. He was startled and almost fell from the tree.

"You don't recognize me?" he said in a familiar voice. I scanned my brain for a match.

"Kurt?"

"Yeah! Nice to be remembered."

"Wait, you're a-"

"Yeah. I'm a mutant. And I'm here to save you." His smile was contagious.

"A little help here, Kurt!"

"Is that Scott?" I asked.

"Yeah. There are a lot more of us at that school in Bayville than you think. But now, I gotta run." He jumped from the tree and was gone before my eyes. I looked up to see him and Scott battle the sentinel. A black woman with white hair was floating in the sky and suddenly, it was lightening. Lightning struck the sentinel and his head fell off. Then it floated safely to the ground without hitting anyone. It was amazing. And they were all here to help me. My bleak outlook on mutants changed. As the decapitated sentinel fell to the ground.

Kurt teleported back into the tree.

"Come with me," he said, holding out his hand. Hesitantly, I took his hand and let him lead me to the others.

"Hello, Carson," said the professor. "It's a pleasure to see you again, though I had hoped we could have done so under less traumatic circumstances. Are you alright?"

Dumbfounded, I nodded.

"Good. Let me introduce you to the team. These are just a few of my students. This is Ororo Munroe," he said, pointing to the lady who had conjured up the lightning. "Also called Storm for obvious reasons. And I believe you've already met Kurt and Scott."

Again, I nodded.

"I'm sure that you have many questions for us and there will be ample time later for me to answer them. However, first, I believe that we should get out of here before more of the President's sentinels find us."

I suddenly found my voice.

"I don't want to go," I said.

"Carson, be reasonable," Scott said.

"Now, Scott," the professor intervened. "Carson has the right to make the choice." The he turned to me. "If you change your mind, you know where to find us," he said. And then they left.

All night, I fought with my conscience. It kept me awake, separating the pros and the cons. If I went and became an X-man, I would constantly have my neck on the line, risking my life for people who didn't appreciate it. I would be looked down on because I had an extravagant power. By the time I fell asleep, I had decided against going.

**A/N: So this was a little bit longer... i hope you enjoyed. sorry for the long wait. **


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: sorry for the long wait. it's been a long few months. please forgive me. and enjoy. and review. thanks!

Chapter Sixteen

I slept restlessly and awoke tired. I had dreamt that our home was attacked and my aunt and uncle killed, leaving me once again homeless and without family. In my dream, I had watched in horror as everything I had come to call normal had been stripped from the very earth itself. But in the dream, instead of sentinels, it was a tornado. And it ate my aunt and uncle.

I awoke to my aunt holding my hand and draping a damp cloth over my head with the other. My uncle was standing in the corner, his brown eyes looking at me with concern.

"Are you alright now, Carson?"

"What happened?" I asked.

"You were screaming like there was no tomorrow," my uncle replied.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"It's about three in the morning," my aunt replied. Her hazel eyes were searching me for an explanation.

"I had a nightmare," I said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Not yet," I replied. I sat up under her hand and let the damp towel fall to my lap. "I'm fine," I said. "Really."

"Okay then, dear," my aunt said. "We're gonna go back to sleep then. And you should try to go to sleep yourself. If you wanna skip school tomorrow, we'll understand."

"Thank you," I said as they left my room.

The next day, I skipped school. But not because I overslept. Actually, I awoke thirty minutes before my aunt and uncle. Once they were gone, I had the house to myself. I grabbed some cash from the emergency stash my guardians had and started packing. It was going to be a long trip.

I had a hundred and fifty dollars and fifty seven cents in my pocket. I had one chance at getting to New York. I had to do it now.

"One train ticket to Bayville, New York," I said. The man behind the window gave me an odd look. One that said "shouldn't you be in school instead of buying a ticket from Charlotte to Bayville?" But he gave me my ticket and I waited for the train.

When the train came, I almost turned back. I didn't have to tell my aunt and uncle where I'd be going. I was really saving their lives so it didn't matter. And it's not like I knew them that well. I swallowed my fear and my excuses and boarded. I would have to change trains twice. But right now there weren't many people on. I sat quietly in the back trying to read. But instead, I found myself thinking about New York and what was there for me. Would it be for the better or would I end up a dead mutant on the side of some alley? I started to feel sick. But there was no turning back now. I could have easily just accepted a one-way ticket to Hell. But there was nothing to do now but keep going.


End file.
